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Handmade Flowers

This thing is so big the only place I could photograph it was the sun porch!

You may or may not have noticed that I skipped the last couple of weeks of Friday Flower projects. Sorry y’all. Please know that it was not for lack of effort — I have been busy beavering away at a series of, wait for it, ….giant flowers.

Cool right — giant flowers? Doesn’t that sound fun? Don’t you want to make a great big batch of them and hand them out to everyone you know?

Well that’s too bad because none of them worked!

This sunflower, nice as it is, is nothing like I thought it would be. I’m about 80% satisfied with the results. I hesitated to even share it with y’all but the concept is solid, and, as this is the start of sunflower season, who am I to hold back? It’s sunny and summery and would be fun to make with munchkins. If/when I make a better sunflower I’ll be sure to share that too.

Kiki was kind enough to model. If only I had asked her to wear skinny green pants for the occasion.

I have been thinking about making giant flowers for nearly a year, ever since I saw these suckers featured in Bryan Batt’s book, Big Easy Style.

Tangent: If you are into interior design books, I highly recommend this one. It’s classic interior design stuff but there is an infectious sense of joy underlying his designs that I don’t usually associate with big glossy decorating books. In short: this is a happy book. If you look through this thing and don’t ache for a trip to New Orleans, something is wrong with you. Plus, he has some really good tips on no-fail paint colors and lighting that I have never seen anywhere else. Plus, Mr. Batt is ridiculously handsome. Plus, you might already know him as Salvatore Romano from Mad Men, or a bunch of other places, but he will always be Sal the Art Director to me. *Sigh*

And here is another tangent: Why aren’t there more graphic design professionals portrayed on film and in television? We only had ONE decent character and AMC up and plunked his butt. WTF? Seriously, you know what? How many lawyer/doctor/cop/government agent shows are there on TV? Too effing many. That’s what. Why don’t they make more shows about creative people? Why can’t they show people kerning fonts and preflighting page spreads? I’m tell you, it’s downright exciting. Someone should steal my idea here and make some money. Shhhhhh, I won’t tell.

Anyway, tangents are over, about the flowers…. Mr. Batt has these giant paper flowers on the chocolate colored wall in his dining room (don’t you love that?). I have seen similar flowers on the sides of Mardi Gras floats so I am assuming that they are made of chicken wire and airbrushed paint, but I’m not sure. All I know is they look complicated. So asked my friend Suzzone, a fabulous blogger and professional crafter who lives in New Orleans what she thought, and boy am I glad I did because she said she saw them making these at her son’s school. SCHOOL. Well, if school children can make them, goshdarnit, so can I!

Originally I tried these with tempera paint on butcher paper and wire but they came out too floppy. Then I tried gluing the petals to plastic sliced up cups and it was a hot mess. In retrospect, they might have worked if I had chosen thicker paper, but you know, we are all entitled to a learning curve. So I went back to the drawing board and came up with this; a simple method of stacking layers of petals glued to plates. It’s hard to mess up and it’s a great excuse to bust out the big gloopy paint.

Materials

Thick brown craft paper

Multiple colors of latex paint (leftover house paint does just fine)

Hot Glue Gun

One platter size lightweight/paper plate

One dinner size lightweight/paper plate

Start by painting the craft paper –make it good and thick. For a flower this size you will want to paint at least three large sheets about the size of your dining room table. Make them nice and colorful and enjoy the painting process. You can smear down a decent base coat with a cheap sponge or roller. Go out of your way to be messy. Eat some chocolate while you are at it. I painted my petals shades of yellow pus some brown scraps to insert in the middle, but you could do any color. Or all colors. Oh please, somebody hurry up already and make a giant rainbow sunflower and send me a picture.

The amount of craft paper you will need depends on how many petals you want–I estimate I covered my dining room table with painted craft paper three times for this project.

I know someone is going to ask me for a petal template, so let’s be clear: I don’t have one. It cut these out free hand and you can too. Just fold the paper over and cut skinny pointy oval shapes in graduating sizes. The fold is nice as it helps to stiffen the petals to keep them from flopping over down the road.

This flower used about 100 petals total, but you could get by with a lot less. Or a lot more. Gosh, don’t I sound wishy-washy today?
For the center of the flower, cut three circles with painted edges. Again, no template here. Just cut the edges nice and jagged then fringe the perimeter. Do this on each circle, fold up the edges, then stack them inside of each other. This could be a small flower all by itself.For the center, cut a small circle of a lighter color, fringe the perimeter, and fold all the petals in on each other.

Assembly

The critical base of this whole project is a lightweight bamboo/wicker/basket platter thing from the thrift store. If you have ever had cause to order catered food, chances are the food came delivered on one of these, but if you do not have one laying around in your garage already, I guarantee you, every thrift store in the country has a lightweight platter basket laying around on a shelf for 99cents or less. Yes, you could substitute with a big circle of cardboard but then you won’t get the lip around the edge that helps the petals curve inward a bit like a real flower.

For the bottom tier, adhere half the petals to the platter with hot glue. Now that I think about it, staples might work as well.

For the second tier, glue the remaining half of the petals to a reasonably sturdy paper plate and then glue the back of the paper plate to the center of the first tier.

For the center of the flower, stack the three brown circles, hot glue, then fluff the fringe to your heart’s desire. Finish off with that fringy thing you made seven steps ago. Tada!

I had my heart set on it being a sunflower, but now I look and maybe it’s a black-eyed Susan. Hmmm…hard to say.

I was eating corn chips for breakfast on the back porch this morning (don’t judge me) when a little boy and his mother walked by on their way to the main road. As he ran his pudgy hands along the ragged tips of the bottle flowers on the fence, he belted out, “MOM. MOM. MOM. THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE MUST DRINK MORE POOPING JUICE THAN GRANDPA. DON’T YOU THINK, MOM? MOM?” to which his mother replied, without a hint of sarcasm, “Gee hun, I’ll bet you are right.”

Sigh.

I was hoping the new neighbors would designate this the flower house or the recycling house …now it’s the pooping juice house. And, as if that were not bad enough, we are in competition with a Grandpa.

Joy.

Actually, one of my very first blog posts was about making flowers from plastic bottles to cover the bars on the windows of my old apartment. It was pretty neat.The flowers, that is. Not the bars. But I used spray paint for that project which is something I am trying to avoid these days. Random: Do you know that it is illegal to buy or sell spray paint within Chicago city limits? Word. So I’m doing this with regular craft paint. This not only makes the project kid friendly, it makes it easy to layer up and get some nifty results. I have a trick for making the craft paint last in the great outdoors…read on!

The stubby little stretch of chain-link fence between the back door and the garage has been annoying me for months. One day it will get replaced, but seeing as it is perfectly functional, why mess with a good thing? Especially when you can cover it with flowers. And for zero money, no less. Can’t beat that.

The only word to describe it is cheerful. It’s hard for anyone to walk by without touching them. I think that’s a good sign.

There is absolutely no reason why you need to layer the paint colors, especially if you are impatient, but I suggest you try it at least once (see my old Fourth of July / patriotic bottles).

After everything is dry, snip off the bottom and cut slits along the sides (I explained this better in the old tutorial), then pull back to reveal your flower. I like to pull up a few skinny strips and trim them short to give dimension. Cool beans.

Couple of Tips

1. Drying Rack: Painted bottles have a tendency to tip over and make a mess, so I made a support structure by jabbing bamboo skewers in a cardboard box. Presto, instant drying rack!

2. Water Proof Paint Extender: I added a small amount of Martha Stewart Multi Surface Paint to each blob of my regular craft paints. Sort of like adding gel medium to acrylic paint, but instead of gel medium, I used MS paint because it sticks to everything (glass, fabric, wood, plastic, everything.). I wanted to be sure the flowers would last a few months outside, and after running one of these flowers through the dishwasher, I am confident this paint is staying put!

I love the way they look side-by-side with the day lilies. I can’t tell which one is prettier 🙂

Chrysanthemum is one of my favorite words of all time. I like the way it requires you to scrape your tongue across the back of your teeth to pronounce it properly. Chrysanthemum. Why people feel compelled to shorten their name to mums is beyond me. What’s the fun in that?

And, for another thing, it is one of the few multisyllabic words I enjoy spelling. I like the way it breaks down: Chry-san-the-mum. For someone with lousy spelling skills, such as moi, this is a good one. There is a scene in Anne of Green Gables where Anne wins a spelling competition when Gilbert Blythe and Prissy Andrews fail to spell it correctly. In this way, I feel Anne and I are superior and kindred spirits in every way. Obviously. Never mind I still can’t spell catalogue to save my life, I feel very accomplished when I type out chrysanthemum and that indignant red wiggly spellchecker line doesn’t pop up.

Ombre is big again this year, so I thought I would incorporate it into a flower project. Melly asked for something with coffee filters, so here you go, Melly!

I was all set to show this to guys last week, but then I decided it was missing something. It was too orange. Too big. Too blah. So I moved version one to my *closet and made the second, smaller version.

*Can I just take a sec to point out that I even have a closet that can hold a giant chrysanthemum lantern? A year ago I couldn’t even fit something like this in my bedroom, much less my closet. Why, hello, fancy pants.

What’s the difference between the two versions? It’s all about where you dye the filters. here, this should explain:

Required quantity varies. I used 50 for a 8” lantern, and 300+ for a 20” lantern.

Dye: $4.00 per bottle

I used Rit liquid fabric dye because I wanted a rich, vibrant orange and I have found (through much experimentation, I might add) that nothing else produces saturated orange/red colors like this dye. If you are looking to produce a pastel/muted shade, food coloring or watered down acrylic paint will do the trick fine enough.

Paper Lantern: $3.00

You can find these all over the place. Target just started carrying them in their party section, and Ikea carries some as big as a Labradors.

White Glue: $1.00

Hot glue will speed things up, but I have found from previous projects that it gives way after a few months (so that’s not a problem if you are making this for a party). Simple white glue from the dollar store will get the job done.

Instructions for this are like an enlarged version of the hydrangeaI showed a few weeks ago; cut the flowers, dip them in glue and stick them on the lamp. That’s it! It’s hard to mess up. If your lantern base is big enough, you could get a few kids working on this at the same time.

I swear, Lola is like Paris Hilton when it comes to taking photographs. Soon as she hears the shutter click, she comes running.

I don’t know about your neck of the woods, but around here, it’s strawberry season.

In case I didn’t mention it, I love strawberries. And strawberries on sale are even better. If I let myself, I could eat a whole box in one sitting. As is I probably polish off two boxes a week — which is a lot for a single person.

And, since I hoard nifty food packaging, (and-not-so-nifty too), I thought I would find a new way to embellish the boxes.

Painting these clear plastic boxes from the inside out is a lot like painting sale signs inside windows, but far more forgiving. Start by drawing some basic shapes on the inside of the plastic with a permanent marker — I chose flowers, but you could do letters or triangles or dinosaurs, etc. Unicorns might be cool…
…then it’s just a matter of adding blobs of paint. I started with blobs of white paint over every flower, then let it dry and added yellow circles. Then that dried and added red. Then purple, then green, then used more white to fill in the blanks. Very little artistry involved; it’s all about layering.

Boom, that was it.
These would make for nifty gift wrap, or a fun way to contain odds-n-ends around the house.

I finally got a grip on how to make tissue paper flowers. It took a while, and a lot of torn tissue, but thanks to some great directions from Vallen Queen and my friend Tracy, I finally have it down.

Tip I wish someone told me ten years ago: When it comes to the separating and fluffing, only touch the inner 3″ of the flower. Pretend the outside perimeter is covered with toxic ooze. Did you ever jump around on the furniture pretending the floor was covered with molten lava? It’s like that. But with tissue. It prevents tearing and tissue fatigue. Omg did I just type tissue fatigue?

Kiki let me stick them up on her doorway until they go outside. I just used a simple piece of scotch tape to stick the top of the flower to the door frame, and BAM. That’s it!

Also known as tissue pomanders or fiesta flowers, it’s probably the easiest and most popular, readily available craft idea on the internet, involving nothing more than tissue paper and a simple accordion fold…and yet, I cannot make them.

At least, I cannot make them nice.

They come out squashed and torn and look like someone sat on them, or something one might use to scrub feet.

I have a similar relationship with rice. I can’t make a decent bowl of Uncle Ben’s rice to save my life. And believe me — I have tried.

Rice hates me.

And so do tissue poms.

Sad face.

But this year, with a major Cinco de Mayo kick in full swing, I am determined to make some colorful tissue flowers. I was going to share them today, but alas, they came out squished, torn and crappy.

Again.

Double sad face.

My friend Ana is a kindergarten teacher, who says she can get 5-year-olds to make them as long as she uses waxed tissue, which is sturdier than regular tissue. I’m going to pick some up later today and attempt again this weekend. I’ll let you know how it goes. Fingers crossed.

Lola decided to inspect my work. Then she swat it down and tore it up while I was in the bathroom this morning. Seriously? Even my cat disapproves of my tissue pom making skills.

Thought I would take a break from making Friday Flowers and offer up an idea on what to put the flowers in.

This idea came to me at a wedding reception where the centerpiece flowers were displayed in clear vases lined with paper printed with the bride and groom’s names (sort of like this). Nifty idea, right?

So I thought, well, What if you swapped the names for words?

Like, Happy Birthday, or Thank You, or You’re Special, or Pretend This is Jewelry…wouldn’t that be neat? Good fonts. Great slogans. Yeah.

Yeah!

Then I thought, What do people really want when they are giving and receiving flowers?

Thoughtfulness.

And what is more thoughtful like a simple drawing?

And munchkin drawings are the best.

And yes, as an Aunt, I am an authority on this matter. All you need is a clear vase with straight sides, a drawing, some tape, and a container slightly smaller than the vase. I chose a clear plastic cup and trimmed down the height with some scissors, but I imagine a tin can would work fine too. Easy peasy.

Note: spellchecker is telling me peasy is not spelled with an a. What’s up with that?

*** In the familyTake a look at Martha’s candy lined vases. Candy AND flowers? Someone sure got lucky. Check out Camilla’s uber modern bud vase made from a votive and a _______ (you have to see it).

Between Passover tonight and Easter on Sunday, I suspect a whole lot of people will be getting out the fancy china this weekend. So, if anyone out there needs a last minute way to gussy up the holiday table, magnolia napkin rings are a heckuva nifty option. I don’t even like napkin rings, but these are winning me over.

Plus, let’s be honest, magnolias in April are just about the most beautiful thing on the planet. If you live in a part of the world where magnolias do not grow, my heart goes out to you, my friend. You are missing out.

Materials for each flower

3 Small Paper Plates

Scissors

Glue Stick or double-stick tape

These suckers are easy to make AND they keep their shape. If you are particular with how you adhere the flower to the napkin ring, you can use it over and over. Or skip the napkin ring and use the flowers for something else.

I came up with this idea because I wanted to make a magnolia that really looked like a magnolia, which is, if you look hard – a waxy and lopsided, strange-smelling creature.

Sometimes they resemble frogs more than flowers.

Magnolias are sturdier than most field crops and can survive snow, sun, and even hail, but they will wither away the moment you remove them from their home. They don’t like to be fussed over. Just appreciate them while they are out and let them fall as they will.

I had a teacher once, Mrs. Habig, who said magnolias were God’s assurance that he wants us to be happy. She said it was no coincidence that magnolias were at their prettiest every Easter, at the very time his life was being mourned. Magnolias are a source of strength and comfort when we need those things most.

Then again, Mrs. Habig was a foot washing Baptist who gave me detention for performing the Jem and the Holograms theme song at recess, so her concept of what is good and beautiful was compromised at best.

But I digress….

Magnolias are gorgeous. And I don’t care what God you are worshiping this weekend, or what flowers are blooming in your branches this week, I think we could all make room for something pretty.

You have to feel a little sorry for flowers in my neighborhood. Last week they were blooming their hearts out, basking in the sunshine and getting a tan. If someone was serving umbrella drinks, they’d be all in. Then, unfortunately, this week happened. Yesterday was cold enough to drag out the winter coat. Again. Now all the brave little tulips who came out to play last week now find themselves frozen and soggy, their limpid heads pointed toward the ground. Like the tulips lining our street, my neighbor’s beautiful white peonies have also peeked, wilted, and faded away with the bitter cold.

This is what the peonies looked like last week.

Since we won’t be seeing them again until the fall (fingers crossed) I thought I would try making some peonies on my own. These peonies are far more tolerant of the cold!

I first heard of customizing bows from this Martha Stewart tutorial. They look super cute on a package, but I was thinking about using these as place settings or on a wreath. I can’t decide just yet, but I’ll keep you posted!

Did you know, in the middle ages, peonies were “recommended to cure gall stones, control epileptic seizures, soothe teething pain and cure jaundice” or that it is the unofficial national flower of China? Click here to learn more about Peonies.

You don’t find them so much here in the Midwest and I have never been out east mid-spring when they are blossoming.

But one day we will time it right.

One day.

Actually, years ago, I dragged a friend into lunch at the famous Pool Room at the Four Seasons just so I could brag about eating a meal underneath a spectacular canopy of cherry blossoms. How grand would that be? It was to be a highlight of trip, but, lo, apparently they don’t have cherry blossoms in July. Apparently they store them somewhere in Yonkers for ten months a year and make you eat hot buttered shrimp under indoor palm trees.

Bastards.

So when I was taking suggestions for Friday Flowers, and Ann mentioned cherry blossoms, I thought the timing would be perfect. Next week would normally be the start of cherry blossom season, although, little did I know there would be a heat wave and the cherry blossoms would come early this year. I’m already behind the curve! So let’s not delay any further – let’s get started…

As much as I like the dogwood shapes made from construction paper, I wanted something a little more delicate and colorful. So I swapped the construction paper for coffee filters (as if you didn’t already know how much I love me some coffee filters).

I dyed the filters by dipping the bottoms into a dye solution of one cup water + 20 drops red food coloring. If you don’t have food coloring you can use red water color paint. Your pick. I purposely used little liquid and LOTS of coffee filters so the tops of the filters would remain white, giving a more realistic, ombre pink and white appearance. There are probably 200 coffee filters here, but I only used ten to cover the whole cherry blossom tree. The rest will be used to make some other flowers down the road.

After the coffee filters dry overnight, cut them in half and then into simple four-leaf clover shapes.

Just for kicks, I dotted the outer edges with a red magic marker, but that looked a little harsh, so I blended them out with water.

Martha’s tutorial attaches the flowers to the tree with hot glue, but that seemed too clunky for the coffee filters, so I chose to cut 1cm slits in each blossom and slipped them onto the tips of a barren branch. The branch is held in an old ice bucket anchored by sand. Please forgive the tarnished silver — if you had seen that bucket when I found it at the thrift store, black as a skillet, you would appreciate the recent improvement!

Speaking of thrift stores — did I ever show you the treasure Kelly found at a thrift store last fall?

Behold, it is Miss Piggy! Isn’t she wonderful?

Original art. And the framing is so nice, too. It warms my heart to think of someone treating Miss Piggy’s picture the same as a formal portrait. How she ended up in a thrift store, I will never know, but thank goodness she came my way. Thanks again, Kelly!

I like the idea of having a couple of these cherry blossom trees on a formal dining table. Maybe for a Seder. Or Easter. With eggs. Or not. Oh, I don’t know, but if you try it, send pictures, por favor!

If you have two minutes today, watch this short documentary, The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom. It is truly remarkable to think what beauty can survive the most horrific of disasters. Makes me that much more anxious to see a real cherry blossom one day 🙂